From Rivalry To Passion
by PAT THE KITSUNE
Summary: Summary: One can never know who they might run into in the depths of space. Six years after his initial leaving, Dwicky has finally found a reason to return home. Little does he know that the cost of leaving again may be more than what he originally bargained for. ZADR/DADR
1. Prologue: Home

A/N: Oh my goodness. What is this? Another story? Really? As a matter of fact, this is indeed another IZ fic. However, unlike my current fics, this is NOT a role play but rather, a solo fic. Yes. You heard me right. I am actually sitting down and working on a solo fic again after 4 years of being lazy and only working on RPs. Shocking, no?

Anyways, my goal in writing this particular fic is to see whether I'm really as good as some people claim me to be. Obviously, my role plays with other writers have become pretty popular in the IZ fandom over the past few years or so. However, I can't help but feel a need to prove myself as a solo writer. I want to see whether my solo writing abilities have truly improved since the last solo story I worked on or whether it's been just a fluke that people seem to like the role plays I post on this account.

For that reason, feedback on this particular story would be VERY MUCH appreciated, you guys. I really want to know what you guys think of my writing, given I'm actually TRYING to write well in this story.

That said, I hope you guys otherwise enjoy "From Rivalry To Passion". I'm really going to be putting a lot of love and dedication into this particular story. So hopefully I'm not wasting my time in doing so.

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

From Rivalry To Passion-Prologue: Home

"Iry cirtn. Uie'hy myhtoar uie mor micpsyty tny callair ar tnot tacy? Vy mor't ojjihd ti pet ijj ieh psorl yzyr iry dou sirgyh tnor tnot. Uie hyosafy tnal, oc A mihhymt?"

"Yes. I understand completely. Iry cirtn al oss A'ss ryyd."

"Very well then, human. I'll make arrangements for you to be transported to the planet of your choosing. But remember, one month's time is all we can afford you. Do I make myself clear?

"Yes. Thank you. I give you my word. I won't let you down." a pearly-toothed smile broke the otherwise stony expression of the dark-haired man standing before the council that had gathered on his behalf.

"You best not, human. This opportunity comes but once in a millenia. Should you fail at completing your mission within the allotted time, we'll have no choice but to cut you from our plans. Every second counts, and the fate of the universe depends on our success. Absolutely nothing can be allowed to hold us back. Not during this most critical of times." the elder of the council spoke, piercing green eyes locking themselves onto the vibrant blue eyes of the human who stood before them.

Said human bowed his head in a small show of respect. "I understand." he said again before turning to head for the exit, that same smile from before still plastered across his face. At long last, he was returning to the place his adventure had first begun. Returning to his home planet.

"Earth." he spoke the name of the planet he'd been away from for nearly 6 years now.

"I'm coming home now. I'm coming home."

A/N: And there you have it for just the prologue so far. Hopefully I've managed to capture the attention of some of you guys. Should you be interested in knowing what the first few lines say, please feel free to ask in your reviews. This garbled alien language is something I made up quite a while back now. But it DOES have an English meaning behind it. So I'd be happy to translate for anybody interested in knowing what it really says. Well, until next time, you guys~


	2. Chapter 1: Unfulfilled Dreams

From Rivalry To Passion- Chapter 1: Unfulfilled Dreams

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

Enjoy~ =3

Dib glared at his rival from his spot across the room, his ever-intense stare not once letting up as he battled for dominance in the staring contest that had started between the two of them and had been going on for nearly an hour now.

"This is all your fault..." he muttered, half to himself and half to the disguised alien staring just as intensely back at him.

Antennae twitching beneath his wig at the silent statement, the Irken scoffed at those words. "ZIM is not the one who brought a water gun to school, worm-baby. If anyone is to blame for landing us in detention, it's YOU!" he jabbed a finger in the human's direction, standing abruptly from his seat.

"Zim! How many times do I have to repeat myself?! No leaving your seat during detention! Now sit back down before I add on another fifteen minutes to your time here!" the teacher in charge scowled and pointed to Zim's seat from his spot at the front of the classroom.

Growling, Zim reluctantly returned to sitting back down at his desk, grumbling beneath his breath about how that teacher would be the first to go once he conquered the Earth. At least, the first to go after the Dib-monkey, of course.

Baring his teeth when he noticed said human snickering at his expense, he considered using his PAK to do away with the boy nuisance now, while he had the chance to. But he couldn't risk exposing himself like that. Not when he'd already dedicated six years to blending in with these humans and perfecting his disguise.

As stupid as they were, he'd encountered a few close calls over the years, prompting him to change his disguise some as a means of appearing more "normal."

Although he had grown during his time here on Earth, it didn't change the fact that he was currently the shortest in their class, these humans he'd been the same height as at one point growing like trees and towering above him now. He tightened his fists at the thought. How could such a stupid race grow so quickly? Even the Dib-human had outgrown him by at least a full head. It made his blood boil thinking back to the time the human had first flaunted his greater height at him.

From that point on, he had tried not to let it show how much the others height bothered him. Rather, he held his head up high and pushed forward with that same heir of superiority he often times displayed even amongst his own race.

When the detention bell finally rang, he stood from his seat with a silence that spoke volumes. He was done dealing with humans today, the very thought of remaining in their presence for even one second longer than he had to making him want to yank his own antennae out. How he had managed to survive on this planet for so many years without going insane was beyond him, though it was painfully obvious to him at this point that he had very little choice in the matter but to live among them.

He cringed at the memory of the last transmission he'd sent out to his leaders. After nearly six months of ignoring him, they had finally answered his calls. Little did he know they only answered him to confront him with the truth of his so-called "mission."

At first, he thought they were just joking when the word "exile" had come up. After all, how could they exile him of all Irkens? But after the exchange of a few choice words which ended with the Tallest hanging up on him and blocking all further communication, it finally began to sink in, slowly but surely.

Another month passed in which he desperately attempted to get a hold of them. But with each blocked signal he sent out, he began to lose hope. Perhaps he really HAD been exiled to Earth.

Shaking that thought from his head, he tried not to let himself become lost to that possibility. After all, the last thing he needed was for the Dib-human to find out. He'd take it to his grave before he let on that his mission was a fake. And even with the reality of his situation blaring loudly inside his antennae, he wouldn't allow himself to just give up on his mission so easily. He would take over this dirt ball of a planet if it was the last thing he did. No human, or even his leaders for that matter, would stand in his way of planetary conquest.

He'd prove his worth one way or another, even if he had to do so on his own terms.

Watching in silence as the Irken stood to leave the classroom, Dib, meanwhile, glared after said alien as he hurried to make his retreat back home. Something was different about the Irken, something he couldn't quite place his finger on. Sure, he was still the same egotistical little bastard he'd been ever since first arriving on Earth, but somehow he seemed more focused than before.

He considered whether that had anything to do with how long he'd been on Earth for but quickly shook that thought from his head as he went to begin walking home himself. Perhaps HE was the one who had lost his focus, for no longer did he chase after Zim in the hopes of gaining fame and glory. Rather, he did it more so to keep himself busy. Their usual fights had become occurrences they could set their watches to. Confrontations which neither side could ever gain the upper hand in. He wished for something new to happen.

Staring down at his feet as he walked the lonely trek back to his house, Dib sighed as he wondered whether he really WAS just wasting his time chasing after Zim.

"Maybe dad was right...I can't keep doing this for the rest of my life. Not if I don't have anything to show for it, at least..." he sighed again, having been considering for a while now why it was he even continued to chase after the other when he had little interest in actually exposing said alien to the world.

In less than two years time he'd be entering college and forced to decide what it was he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Could he really continue to chase after a childhood dream he'd had little success fulfilling over the past six years?

He tried to remember what his dreams had been BEFORE Zim showed up on Earth.

"Heh...Too bad they don't offer electives on studying alien culture." a small smile crept onto his face at the thought before falling away just as quickly.

Zim was the closest he'd ever get to learning more about space and what other species existed out there.

A/N: And there you have it for now. As always, feedback would be very much appreciated. Until next time~


	3. Chapter 2: Evidence

From Rivalry To Passion- Chapter 2: Evidence

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

Enjoy~ =3

For several long moments, Dib could only stare at the package that met him when he reached the front door to his house, a part of him fighting to resist the urge he had to open it while another part of him fought to not give up so easily on his dreams.

He reached for it, stopped himself, and then finally decided he couldn't just leave said package out by the front door where it might be rained on or stolen. So stooping down low to pick it up, he then headed on inside, telling himself he would only stash it in his room until he found the time to mail it back. After all, there was no point in him keeping it. Not when he already had years worth of stashed equipment in his room. Years worth of equipment that had either been broken long ago or didn't work to begin with.

Sighing as he set the latest of his packages down onto his bed, he then gazed longingly at the fake, glow-in-the-dark stars that lined the top of his ceiling. Perhaps he was getting too old for such decorations to still be hanging in his room.

Flopping down onto his back, he tried to recall the last time he'd even really gotten a full night's sleep. Most nights, he spent his time spying on Zim. And when he wasn't spying, he was up on his roof star-gazing or waiting for something new to happen.

Turning over onto his side, he reached to pull his pillow closer. He was tired. Too tired to do anything more that night as he closed his eyes and let himself doze off.

Sleeping undisturbed for the next several hours, Dib didn't begin to come around again until a little past midnight, the box on his bed falling to the ground with a loud "thump" when he shifted and knocked it off the edge it had precariously been sitting on.

He sat up with a groan before scrambling to pull the package back up onto the covers of his bed. He hoped he hadn't damaged what was inside. If he had, there was no way he'd be able to get his money back for it.

Biting his lip as he was afraid to shake it around anymore, he considered whether he should open it or not.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to just check and make sure it's all in one piece still." he muttered to himself before reaching over to turn on his lamp so he could see it more clearly.

Working his thumb around the duct tape, he then opened the package with ease, taking care not to rip the packaging as he carefully reached in to pull out the device he had ordered a little over a month ago.

"Oh wow." he turned the piece of technology over in his palm to examine it. A creature of habit, he couldn't help but become excited all over again as he studied the newly bought camera he'd saved up for months to purchase. Zim had destroyed his last one, and this one was built with a zoom feature that far surpassed his last camera.

He felt his stomach give an odd lurch as he suddenly felt compelled to give it a test run. But even if he could see as far as Zim's house with it, it didn't change the fact that the Irken was probably deep in his labs by now.

Standing from his bed, he went to head for the window that led up onto his roof. If nothing else, he could at least see how far into space it could zoom.

Taking up his usual seat next to all his other equipment, he then began to scan the sky with it, noting how much brighter the stars were tonight and wondering whether he'd ever get the chance to see them up close.

Tracing some of the constellations with one of his fingers, he then stopped when something moving caught his attention.

"What the...?" he pulled the camera away to rub at his eyes. "A shooting star?" he said before adjusting the settings to as far as it could zoom in.

Finally managing to focus his camera on whatever it was he had seen drifting through the sky, he pulled it away just as quickly when he noticed said "star" dropping from the sky and into the distance just beyond town.

"What...was that?" he said before going to stand and stare in the direction he had lost sight of it. One thing was for certain. Whatever that object had been, it was no shooting star.

Not about to just sit around and wait to find out what exactly it was, Dib turned to head back inside without so much as another word, a part of him feeling a need to investigate what quite possibly could have been just a figment of his imagination.

He ran downstairs to head out the front door, stopping when he reached the sidewalk as a sudden flash in the distance caught his attention again.

"Alright. That definitely wasn't just my imagination acting up on me." he said under his breath to himself as he yanked on his trench coat and took dashing off in the direction of where the flash had originated from.

It wasn't until about 20 minutes later that he came upon a clearing just outside of town, near the edge of the woods.

"I could have sworn it came down right about here." he said to himself, looking around for any signs of a crash landing. He sniffed the air around him, stopping in his tracks when the faint smell of smoke filled his nostrils. Something was on fire nearby.

Taking off in the direction he was certain the smell was coming from, he then slowed to a trot when the smell grew stronger and he was able to see a faint glow just a few yards away from him.

He stepped around an obstacle of fallen tree limbs and shrubs, pushing forward until finally he had found what it was he was looking for.

Less than two yards away from him sat a pod of some sort, and around it laid branches with fire dancing back and forth in the light breeze that swept through the area.

Taking a few steps back when a gust of ash and embers came charging towards him, he coughed and took to hiding himself behind a tree. He'd be safe there until he found out what, or who, it was that had just landed on Earth.

He glanced out at the pod a second time. No doubt, the capsule in question was neither Irken nor man-made. And yet, it somehow seemed familiar to him.

Remembering that he had brought his new camera with him, he then quickly fumbled to pull it out from his trench coat. For all he knew, this might be his only chance to snap some pictures of the odd-looking space vessel.

He adjusted the settings accordingly, brought the camera up to look through the viewfinder, and tried to steady his breathing enough to take a clear shot.

Perhaps this would be his chance to prove he wasn't insane. To prove that he was right all along.

"Evidence."

A/N: And there you have it for now. As always, feedback would be very much appreciated. Until next time~


	4. Chapter 3: At Long Last

From Rivalry To Passion- Chapter 3: At Long Last

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

Enjoy~ =3

"At'l tacy. We're here. Are you ready?" a whisper broke the silence as one of two shadowed figures shifted within the space pod that had transported them to the small blue planet they'd once called home. "I can carry you if you're still worn out. I don't know how far we'll have to walk though." fingers untwined themselves from the mess of brown hair they'd been locked in for the majority of the trip. Petting them back delicately, the man then worked to rearrange the locks back into place before stretching and searching for the emergency exit so both could crawl out from the cramped space pod.

Without so much as a word, the second form shifted beneath the man but otherwise remained close, clinging to the man's shirt as he finally found what it was he was looking for and went to release the latch that had been keeping said pod tightly sealed the entire trip.

"You probably don't remember anything about this place. But it's much safer here than anywhere else we've visited these past three years." the man pushed open the pod door before stepping out into the surrounding area, fire light casting an orange glow upon his pale skin as well as the skin of his much younger companion. "Welcome back to Earth. Your home planet and mine." he said before taking in a deep breath and savoring the scent of dew covered grass, a smell he hadn't encountered in over 6 years now.

"It's about time we headed out now." he then said, pulling something out from his pocket and handing it over to his companion.

"Put this on." he instructed, adjusting a strange looking breathing mask of sorts over his own face before going to help his young ward with his. "We can't afford our pod to be found while here." he went to press a small button just within the hatch of the door, causing a strange gas to begin leaking out. "We'll knock out the surrounding wildlife and then activate our pod's cloaking device so no one, animal nor human, comes across it while we're away." he said before pulling the smaller body close and up into his arms. "The effects of the gas should wear off by morning." he then pressed another button inside of the pod that instantly activated its cloaking feature. "Now let's find us a place to stay, shall we?" he smiled beneath the mask before heading in the direction he remembered town to be, needing to locate a cheap motel they could stay in until further notice.

Meanwhile, standing mere yards away, Dib could only stare in shocked silence as he saw what had looked like two humans crawling out from the debris. But that couldn't be right. The vessel was most definitely not of this earth.

He took a step out from his hiding spot, his eyes almost instantly dropping to the gas that was quickly filling the surrounding area and obscuring his view from being able to see the two leaving figures any clearer.

"What is...this...?" he suddenly saw his vision blur as he accidentally breathed in a fair amount of the gas in question. Bringing a hand up to press against his head, he tried to focus and run through the gas towards the two disappearing silhouettes. But before he could take more than three steps forward, he saw his world beginning to turn dark on him.

"D-Disguises...?" he managed to force out before finally blacking out where he stood, the ground rushing up to meet him as his world turned upside down without any warning at all in that moment.

Unaware of the young paranormal investigator left behind in the woods behind him, the man in question went to remove his mask upon coming to a clearing that he never thought he'd see again.

"This...is exactly where things first started." he said, gazing down upon the sleeping city below, his blue eyes lighting up with excitement when he saw all the tiny specks of light that told him he was home at long last.

Reaching into his pant's pocket, he then pulled out a number of rather old looking dollar bills, the only Earth money he had left in his wallet from all those years ago. "$600 in total." he said, having counted it before coming to Earth. "That should be enough for at least the first twelve days of our stay here, give or take a day depending on what we eat during that time." he sighed. "Hopefully I manage to find a temporary job before too long though. Otherwise, I'll have to see how much I have stored away in the bank." he said, biting down on his bottom lip as he knew there hadn't been much when he left.

Shaking that thought from his head for the time being, he returned the neatly folded dollar bills back to his pocket before shifting his hold on the boy clinging to the front of his shirt and smiling down at him. "We'll sleep in tomorrow and then catch a late lunch, depending on how you're feeling in the morning, that is." he said, heading for the road that led to town and keeping his eyes peeled all the while for any motels they could set up base in.

QQQQQ

Dib thought he would be sick, an overwhelming dizziness sweeping over him when he next awoke to sunlight filtering in through the leaves and dancing across his face. He groaned as he went to sit up slowly, feeling as though he'd been hit by a truck.

"What happened last night?" he winced as he brought a hand up to press against his head, his memories fragmented but still there nonetheless. "I could have sworn I saw-" he stopped midsentence and almost instantly went to search for his camera, frantically stuffing his hands into his pockets and sighing in relief when he found it safe and sound in his trench coat pocket.

Pulling it out before going to stand on his feet shakily, he then began to brush off any and all debris he could from his clothes, feeling as though he needed a shower but not knowing whether he had enough time for one. He checked the watch he had strapped to his wrist and nearly jumped when it read 11:00 A.M. School had started three hours ago! And surely Zim was by now creating some sort of havoc without him there to keep him in check. He had to go and make sure things weren't in chaos at the school. Not to mention, his perfect attendance record would be in jeopardy if he didn't make it there before lunch time.

Turning to make a run for the main road so he could maybe catch a bus into town, he then stopped himself when another thought jolted through his mind. In his panic, he'd almost forgotten about what he'd witnessed last night.

Glancing back at where he remembered the pod to be, he then dropped his gaze down to his camera. Had he gotten a picture? He couldn't remember. The shock of seeing what looked to be two humans crawling out of the vessel was all he could remember of that moment.

He fisted his hands tightly. The proof had been right there. There was no way he would ever let such an opportunity pass him by. Whether he remembered it or not, he knew he MUST have taken the shot, at least of the capsule if not the two occupants who emerged from it.

Taking a few steps forward toward where his initial hiding place had been, he reached a hand out in the direction he remembered seeing the pod and began walking towards it slowly, feeling the air until finally his fingers met with what it was they were looking for.

It was still there. Cloaked but definitely there as he pressed the palm of his hand to the by now cooled surface of metal.

Sighing in relief at the physical proof he still had, he took a step back. He'd get any pictures he had on his new camera developed after school. Then he would return to this location later on in the night to figure out how to deactivate its cloaking device.

A smile crept onto his face but then fell away just as quickly. He finally had proof of his sanity, proof that aliens actually DID exist. But with that proof came the knowledge that two potentially new and dangerous aliens could be roaming the Earth. Even if he did turn this in to the authorities, THEY were still out there, possibly plotting the downfall of the human race.

He bit his bottom lip as he still felt rather uneasy about what he had by now convinced himself were only disguises. These new foes were obviously craftier than anything he'd faced before and could be virtually anywhere in town by now. It made his stomach flip that he hadn't gotten a better look at them both so he could easily pinpoint their disguises from within a crowd.

Sighing to himself, he shook his head and turned to head for the main road. He'd have to figure out SOME way of finding and exposing them to the world, but such a task would obviously be easier said than done. He hadn't even managed to convince ANYBODY that Zim was an alien yet, and said Irken quite possibly had one of the worst disguises of all time. It made him wonder at times whether the human race was even worth protecting. So many of them were just plain stupid, with the exception of his sister and perhaps one other human he'd met long ago. He stopped when he reached the forest's end, having a look about the field that came just before the main road.

"That's right. This is where it all happened." He looked up towards the sky, wondering what had ever happened to him. Although it had happened nearly 7 years ago now, he still couldn't help but think back to that day on occasion.

A/N: And there you have it for now. As always, feedback would be very much appreciated. Until next time~


	5. Chapter 4: Desperate

From Rivalry To Passion- Chapter 4: Desperate

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

Title suggested by LinnechaRose over on DA.

Critiques are welcome. Just please be fair with your critiques and put some actual thought into them before sending.

Note: Kindly refrain from leaving any negative comments about the CONTENT of this story. As the saying goes, if you don't like it, don't read and comment on it. When I ask for critiques on this story, I'd appreciate critiques on the quality of the story rather than the content. Because quite honestly, I don't care to hear whether you like the subject matter or not. Commenting negatively on the content won't make me change it and isn't helpful in the long run.

That said, hope you all enjoy~ =3

Fingers twitched before running themselves through dark hair nervously. This was the place. The place he'd been told to come to, at least. The elementary school down the road had turned him down, and now the raven-haired man stood before the threshold of the one high school they had in town.

He took a deep breath and straightened out his shirt the best he could. This was the absolute last place he wanted to return to. Not after the years he'd spent as a student here. But having been gone for so long, it came as no surprise to him that the elementary school he used to work for turned him down. They told him of an opportunity at the local high school though and, being desperate, he knew he couldn't pass it up.

Pushing the door to the front of the building open, he cringed as the hinges squeaked loudly in the otherwise silent hallways, classes currently in session and nobody roaming the halls. "One month. That's all I have to stay for." He told himself before pushing it open further and going to step through.

Before he could get halfway through the door though, he suddenly heard a yell from behind him.

"Hold the door!" came the almost frantic voice of what he assumed was a student late to class.

Turning half a second too late, the man felt his arm being bumped as said student went racing past him without so much as stopping, ducking under his arm before just about tripping in the hallway and then calling back a quick apology to the man he'd hardly even taken the time to glance at on his way in. He couldn't though. Only five minutes remained before lunch started. If he didn't make it before then, he'd officially be counted as absent for the day, thus ruining his perfect attendance for that year.

Staring after the dark-haired teen as he darted down the hallway without so much as another word to him, the man stood speechless for a moment before breathing out a small sigh and walking the rest of the way into the building. He'd much prefer to work with elementary students over high school ones, but his options were limited, and he'd work any job he could get that would earn him some money during his stay there.

"Anything is better than nothing." He said to himself before making his way down the hall in search of the school's main office. A part of him wished he'd slept in at the motel that morning, like he'd proposed the night before. But with time working against him, he knew he couldn't rest for long. The universe was at stake, and he couldn't let it down.

A/N: And there you have it for now. As always, feedback would be very much appreciated. Until next time~


	6. Chapter 5: Familiar

From Rivalry To Passion- Chapter 5: Familiar

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

Title suggested by LinnechaRose over on DA.

Critiques are welcome. Just please be fair with your critiques and put some actual thought into them before sending.

Note: Kindly refrain from leaving any negative comments about the CONTENT of this story. As the saying goes, if you don't like it, don't read and comment on it. When I ask for critiques on this story, I'd appreciate critiques on the quality of the story rather than the content. Because quite honestly, I don't care to hear whether you like the subject matter or not. Commenting negatively on the content won't make me change it and isn't helpful in the long run.

That said, hope you all enjoy~ =3

"You're late, Dib!"

"I know, but I-"

"No buts! Just take your seat and I'll deal with you after class." the boy's teacher scolded him, pointing to an empty seat amongst the sea of other students.

Dib had thrown himself through the classroom door in his rush to make it to class on time, completely disrupting the lecture his teacher had been on a roll preaching for the last forty minutes or so. A few of the students laughed, snickering at the poor boy's misfortune. But Dib didn't care. He had made it on time with at least two minutes to spare.

As he walked to his seat, he couldn't help but spare a certain disguised Irken a glare when he noticed said alien snickering along with a few of the other students.

Shifting his eyes away after a moment though, he slid a hand into his trench coat pocket, a small smile gracing his face at the feel of his camera inside. They may be laughing now, but little did they know what evidence he'd gotten on film the night before.

He slumped into his seat happily, trying to imagine what their reactions would be once he got his pictures developed and the space pod he'd found turned in to the authorities. Nobody would be able to make fun of him then. And perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone and convince them that Zim actually WAS an alien also. The thought had him snickering to himself as he closed his eyes and waited for the lunch bell to ring.

Knowing his luck, his teacher would no doubt give him detention for his tardiness, but he just didn't care in that moment. His new discovery would make all of his suffering worth it in the end. No longer would he have to be considered an outcast by his peers. They'd accept him. He was sure of it. And his society would come to know he was anything but "crazy."

Meanwhile, sitting across the classroom from the boy, Zim couldn't help but glare at Dib suspiciously, wondering why it was the human all of a sudden looked so happy. Hadn't the boy nuisance just humiliated himself in front of the whole class by coming in late and being yelled at by their teacher-unit? He furrowed his brows, wondering what the human was up to. The only time he ever saw Dib become so happy was when he had some plot to try and expose him. He wouldn't let the boy win that easily though. If Dib was looking for a battle from him, he'd be sure to give him a war instead.

When the lunch bell finally rang, he decided to take his time packing his things up to go, wanting to know what fate awaited Dib from their teacher. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the boy approached the teacher's desk to receive his punishment.

Glaring at the raven-haired teen from behind his desk, the teacher reached into a drawer to pull out a small pad of paper.

"I really SHOULD mark you as absent for the day since you came into my class so late and disrupted my entire lecture." He said, his hand jerking a few times as he wrote something out onto a piece of paper. "BUT since you DID make it in before the lunch bell, I'll let it slide just this once." He then ripped out the piece of paper from his pad and handed it to Dib. "Detention for the rest of the week. Come into my class late again though, and I won't hesitate to mark you as absent next time. Do I make myself clear?" he glowered up at Dib, staring the boy straight in the eyes.

"Y-Yes, sir. I understand." Dib nodded, feeling just a tad bit intimidated by the way his teacher was staring him down.

"Good. Now take this slip to the front office."

Shifting on his feet nervously, Dib went to take the slip of paper from his teacher cautiously before turning to head out the classroom door, the majority of the class having already filtered out of the room to head for the cafeteria.

Watching as the boy left, Zim made sure to wait a few moments before following behind, not wanting to let the human out of his sight until he knew exactly what it was Dib was planning.

Meanwhile, in the school's main office, one man couldn't help but smile wide as a sense of relief washed over him.

"You really mean it? I've got the job!" the dark-haired man from before beamed at the receptionist as she finished filling out some paperwork for him.

"Yes, yes. We've been meaning to fill the position for a while now, ever since our last councilor threw out his back dealing with another student." She said rather nonchalantly, not really caring who the school's new councilor was so long as they got a new one.

"This is great! You have no idea how badly I needed this job! Thank you so much!" he smiled wide at the middle-aged woman who could only grunt at him in response before handing him a piece of paper.

"This is your new contract. Please sign here, here, and here." She pointed to where she needed him to sign just as the door opened and a student entered to drop off a piece of paper for her.

Coming to stand just to the other side of the man signing his name to his new contract, Dib handed the receptionist behind the desk the slip of paper his teacher had given him and waited for her to enter it into the school's computer system.

"Alright, done!" the man said all too cheerily before holding out his newly signed contract to the woman currently working at her computer.

"One moment please." she said, not wanting to be rushed.

"Oh right. Sorry. Take your time." He pulled the paper back and placed it on the desk before turning so he could lean his back up against the side of the desk.

Dib glanced at the man beside him as he waited, something seeming oddly familiar about him.

Noticing Dib staring, the man couldn't help but turn his head to smile at the teen, not realizing at first that this was the same boy who had bumped his arm on the way in.

Dib looked away quickly when the man smiled at him, his cheeks heating in embarrassment for having been caught staring.

Something was definitely familiar to him about the man though. He couldn't place his finger on what exactly however. Had they met somewhere before? He couldn't remember. The man didn't seem to recognize him though, making him think that perhaps it was only his imagination.

"Alright. I'm ready to take your contract now, Mr….Eh…Uh…Was it Dwicky?" the receptionist swiveled her chair around to check the name on his contract again before turning her attention on Dib. "Oh, and I've added your information to the school's computer as well, Dib." She said, nodding in his direction as a sign that he could go.

But Dib couldn't move. Suddenly, everything around him seemed to have stopped as he stood staring wide-eyed down at the receptionist's desk top. That name was so familiar. But it couldn't be who he thought it was. A coincidence. That's all it could be.

"Haha! Dib, eh?" the man turned to smile at the boy again. "Been a long time since I heard that name. You know, I used to council a boy named Dib. Though that was quite a long time ago." He said before turning his attention back on the woman at the desk. "Ah, yes. That's how you pronounce my name. And I can start work whenever you're ready for me to." He said, no longer paying any attention to the teen standing next to him.

"Very well, Mr. Dwicky. Our school's counseling office is just down the hall and to the left. You start work tomorrow. But feel free to get settled in first if you want."

A/N: And there you have it for now. As always, feedback would be very much appreciated. Until next time~


	7. Chapter 6: Friends?

From Rivalry To Passion- Chapter 6: Friends?

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

Title suggested by LinnechaRose over on DA.

Critiques are welcome. Just please be fair with your critiques and put some actual thought into them before sending.

Note: Kindly refrain from leaving any negative comments about the CONTENT of this story. As the saying goes, if you don't like it, don't read and comment on it. When I ask for critiques on this story, I'd appreciate critiques on the quality of the story rather than the content. Because quite honestly, I don't care to hear whether you like the subject matter or not. Commenting negatively on the content won't make me change it and isn't helpful in the long run.

That said, hope you all enjoy~ =3

Dib felt his world spinning out of control, the ground beneath him feeling as though it were caving in as everything else became lost to him in a sea of questions. Before he even had time to register everything being said around him, he saw his vision blur and the floor come rushing up at him.

"Dib? Dib!" the receptionist had been trying to catch the boy's attention when he suddenly paled and collapsed onto his knees in the middle of her office. "Somebody call the nurse!" she called as she got up from her desk to walk around and check him, the dark-haired man having thankfully caught the boy on his way down before laying him on the floor carefully.

"Hey, are you alright?" Dwicky tried to bring the teen around by lightly slapping the boy's face with a palm.

Dib didn't respond however, something inside of him having shut down in that moment, causing his knees to lock and mind to go blank.

"Where is the nurse's office? I'll take him over there myself." Dwicky turned to look back at the receptionist.

The woman nodded. "The nurse's office is directly across from your new office. If you bring him over there, I'll notify his teachers of what's happened."

Mr. Dwicky nodded, scooping the boy up from the ground easily and going to head for the door.

As he headed out, he couldn't help but notice the state the other's clothes were in, debris still clinging to him, making him think that perhaps the boy had been in some sort of accident before coming to school that day.

Snapping his head up when the man exited with the unconscious boy in his arms, Zim's wig nearly flew off his head when his antennae shot forward. He had been waiting outside the office for Dib, but seeing the human come out in such condition was the absolute last thing he expected. He almost instantly stormed up to the man holding Dib, thinking that perhaps HE had done something to the boy while in there.

"What have you done to the Dib-stink, filthy human?! Tell to Zim before I make you regret having ever laid a finger on the-"

"I-I haven't done anything!" Dwicky exclaimed, rather surprised by the way he was so suddenly being grabbed. "H-He just passed out without warning. I'm taking him over the to the nurse's office now. Why? Are you a friend of his?" he asked, figuring that must be the case.

"Friend?" Zim's antennae rang with the word, twitching almost wildly beneath his wig as never before had he heard anybody describe his relationship with Dib in such a way. It was a ridiculous notion. Absurd. Even laughable as a cackle began to build in his chest, escalating slowly at first until finally he broke out in maniacal laughter that had a few of the other students stopping to stare at him.

"HA! THAT'S A LAUGH! THE DIB-STINK AND ME FRIENDS?! HAHAHA!" he doubled over with the force of his laughter, fighting to gain control of himself again as he brought a hand up to wipe away a stray tear from one of his eyes. "Like the almighty ZIM would EVER accept friendship from anybody on this putrid planet, the pathetic Dib-worm especially! Friendship is nothing more than allusion you humans turn to as a means of making yourselves feel less inferior. But Zim needs no one! And THAT is exactly why I shall one day rule you all with an iron fist!" he pointed all too dramatically at a few of the passing students, whom merely scurried by as quickly as they could, not wanting to have any sort of contact with "the crazy green kid."

"Huh…Is that so?" Dwicky couldn't help but furrow his brows slightly at the disguised Irken before turning to head for his initial destination, the nurse's office. "Well, if you're not his friend then please excuse me while I take him over to visit the school nurse." he said, causing the still humor-stricken alien to pause in his laughter.

"Hahahahaha…EH?! Hey!" he turned quickly when the dark-haired man walked right past him before scowling after him and going to follow behind him, reluctant to let the Dib-human out of his sight so long he as he still believed the other to be plotting against him.

Dwicky, meanwhile, pushed open the door once he located the nurse's office before carefully stepping in with Dib and bringing him up to where a much younger woman sat reading a magazine at her desk.

"Excuse me. I have a student here who passed out in the school's main office." he said before looking around the room and spotting a bed near the back of it.

"Oh my! One moment please. If you could just lay him down over there, I'll check his blood pressure and try to determine the cause of his passing out." she said, standing to grab what she needed from a small medical closet the school kept all their minor equipment in.

Nodding his head, Dwicky did as he was told, carrying the boy over to the bed and carefully laying him down onto it, taking care to make sure his head was supported on a pillow before stepping back.

After a moment, the nurse approached with the blood pressure monitor she'd been looking for and began wrapping the Velcro strap around Dib's upper arm carefully. "I can take over from here if you'd like to leave now. He already seems to be coming around." she then pointed out, noting how the boy shifted and groaned as consciousness began to come back to him.

Dib could hear voices speaking above him, one male and the other female as his eyelids fluttered momentarily before drifting back open to take in his surroundings, the two conversing figures slowly coming back into focus.

"Wh-What…What happened?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else in the room. His thoughts were still mottled, bringing a brand new headache with them as he brought a hand up to hold his head. He couldn't remember a thing past bringing his attendance slip to the school's main office, and then…

_And then…_

His eyes snapped wide open before he sat up all too quickly, a brand new head rush washing over him and causing him to shudder in his spot.

"Hey, don't push yourself, alright kid?" Dwicky reached out to steady him before trying to help lay him back down so he wouldn't pass out again. "You shouldn't move around too much while the nurse is looking you over. For all we know, you could need a trip to the hospital after the way you passed out on us." he said, thinking something more might be wrong with the boy.

But Dib wasn't listening, his body slumping slightly against Dwicky's as he resisted the man's attempts to make him lay back down.

"You..." his fingers twitched at his sides before balling into fists.

"Hmm? " Dwicky blinked at the teen's barely audible murmur.

"You…" he said again, gritting his teeth as he kept his gaze fixed on his lap.

"I what?" the man asked.

"You…BASTARD!" he swung for the man's face before the other could respond, a loud crack echoing throughout the room as Dib's fist made direct contact with Dwicky's jaw, causing the dark-haired man to stagger back with a short-lived yelp before doubling over in his spot and bringing both hands up to hold his aching jaw.

"What the hell was that for?!" he lifted his head just enough to glare at the panting boy before wincing and letting out another pained groan.

"Like you don't already know!" Dib glared daggers at the councilor in question, an almost uncontrollable rage taking over the better part of his judgment in that moment.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking abou-" he began to say before stopping suddenly when the realization hit him. Of course. It all made sense now. This boy wasn't just any Dib. He WAS Dib, his ex-counselee.

For several long moments he could only stare in shocked silence at the raven-haired teen, amazed by how much he had grown in the time he'd been gone.

He noticed the nurse go to grab the phone in her office so she could call in school security but grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Don't…I…I deserved that." he said before straightening himself out and turning to face Dib.

He didn't know what to say to the boy. Never had he given any thought to what he'd say were he to ever run into Dib again. But now that it was happening, he knew he couldn't leave the other without an explanation.

"Let me walk you home, Dib. I promise to listen this time."

A/N: And there you have it for now. As always, feedback would be very much appreciated. Until next time~


	8. Chapter 7: Believe

A/N: Wow...Just wow. -_-; I've been working my ass off on this fic, hoping to get some feedback on what people think of it so far and the review I get from some anonymous asshat is that my avatar is "creepy." Seriously? What the fuck?! Jesus Christ, you guys. I'm not gonna complain about people not reviewing this story. After all, reviews are something that need to be earned. But I would appreciate it if the reviews I DO get are actual FEEDBACK ABOUT THE STORY! My avatar has NOTHING to do with this story, so why somebody felt the need to comment about it here is beyond me. :/

Also, for the record, anybody who finds my avatar creepy is just fucking insane. How is a picture of Zim, looking through Dib's glasses "creepy?" Can somebody please explain that one to me? People seriously need to re-evaluate their definition of creepy if they find my avatar to be in any way, shape, or form "creepy."

That said, I'm seriously considering disabling anonymous reviews again. I don't need a bunch of spam comments flooding my inbox. So please, you guys. Either submit feedback on the story or don't submit at all. I'm really not asking for much when it comes to this story. Just the respect enough NOT to send in stupid reviews that have nothing to do with this story.

From Rivalry To Passion- Chapter 7: Believe

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

Title suggested by LinnechaRose over on DA.

Critiques are welcome. Just please be fair with your critiques and put some actual thought into them before sending.

Note: Kindly refrain from leaving any negative comments about the CONTENT of this story. As the saying goes, if you don't like it, don't read and comment on it. When I ask for critiques on this story, I'd appreciate critiques on the quality of the story rather than the content. Because quite honestly, I don't care to hear whether you like the subject matter or not. Commenting negatively on the content won't make me change it and isn't helpful in the long run.

That said, hope you all enjoy~ =3

"I can't believe I didn't see it before. Perhaps I'm getting old and going a little senile." the man ran a hand through his hair as he followed just a few steps behind the teen, said paranormal investigator walking rather stiffly as he made his way down the street, more than a little annoyed with the other still. "You sure have grown though. The last time I saw you, you barely came past my waist. But just look at you now! You're nearly as tall as me! And I don't doubt you still have at least a little more growing to do." he smiled lightly before feeling that smile fall away at the lack of a response back.

He sighed. The boy hadn't said a word to him since decking him.

He brought a hand up to rub at his jaw, one of his teeth still aching badly despite the fifteen or so minutes that had passed since then.

"You're a lot stronger too. I think you even managed to dislodge one of my teeth. Though I suppose I deserved that." he said before giving his jaw another rub and then dropping his hand back down to his side.

He could tell by the boy's body language that he was still angry with him. But he didn't know what more to say to make this situation any less awkward.

Finally, he sighed. "Look, Dib. I know you're mad, but you can't keep avoiding me like thi-" he began to say before being abruptly interrupted by the teen.

"Oh, I can't, can I?! Pft. And this coming from the guy who left for SIX YEARS." he said as he continued walking just a little faster now, wanting to get away to somewhere he could be alone.

For a moment, he glanced back to glare at the man. "Why are you following me anyways? Don't you have an entire universe to go and explore with your 'new' and 'alien' friends? It's not like you cared what I thought or how I felt the last time you left. So what makes now any different from back then? You're no different from everybody else in my life. I'm just "the crazy kid" everybody uses and then tosses to the side when convenient for them. Heh…I guess it shouldn't have surprised me so much back then that you'd just up and leave though. I fight to protect a race that really DOESN'T deserve such 'kindness.' Zim was right about one thing, as much as I hate to admit it. The human race really isn't worth saving in the long run. I've even considered LETTING him take over a few times in the past. But then what purpose would I have left in life? Becoming a slave to the Irken Empire? No thank you. I'd rather protect those who demean me on a daily basis than ever submit myself to that sort of indignity." he laughed bitterly, only able to imagine what Zim might say and do with him were he to ever give in to the Irken.

An uncomfortable silence passed between the two of them after Dib had finished speaking. Dwicky shifted on his feet before picking up his own pace to try and match Dib's again.

"You know, I ran into him in the hallway. Zim, I mean. He really does have a horrible disguise for an Irken invader. One of the worst I've seen." he said, deciding to take a slightly different approach this time around. "But…Even so, I can't help but feel relieved he believes what he does. That friendship is an allusion and weakness Irkens can do without. It makes him much less of a threat. Irkens actually rely rather heavily upon each other for support. But Zim…He seems to think he needs no one's help. And that's why he'll never succeed in taking over this planet." he said, having heard all sorts of rumors about the ex-Irken invader during his travels in space.

"You're smarter than that though, Dib. You protect people because you hope that one day you'll be able to prove yourself to them and make them believe you. Well, -I- believe you. Perhaps it doesn't mean as much to you now because of how ignorant I was back then, but I really DO. And I don't think you should have to face him alone."

"If you just give me a second chance, let me help you, I promise never to let you down ever again. I want to PROVE to you that the human race really is worth saving. I know you don't believe me because of how you've been treated in the past, but you have to know it's not completely their fault for thinking the way they do. Humans can be fickle that way. Not believing what they haven't seen. You're special though. You see things as they are rather than how you wish them to be. The rest of the human race brushes you off because they don't want to believe they're in danger of ever being taken over by an alien race. But they are. I've seen it with my own two eyes. And it won't be long now before they're forced to see it too. They're ignorant, yes. But no race deserves to undergo the cruelties I've witnessed." he said before reaching out to grab Dib by the arm so he could turn the boy around to face him.

"I know I let you down in the past and I'm sorry for that, but never again. I can't. Too many lives are dependent on it. Entire universes even. I know you care, Dib, so don't try to convince me otherwise. It never was nor will it ever be in your nature NOT to care. You have to believe me when I say this world needs you." he furrowed his brows, staring Dib straight in the eyes as the other struggled against him before finally managing to pull his arm free of the man's grip.

Dib didn't want to hear any of this, especially from the one person who'd abandoned him all those years ago.

Dwicky could see the conflict written clearly all over Dib's face and took a step forward to reach out and place a hand on the paranormal investigator's shoulder. Dib merely shrugged it off though and went to back away from his ex-councilor. "Don't touch me. I…I need time to think." he said, taking another step back.

Dwicky stared after him, not moving to take any more steps towards him. He knew the boy needed some time to himself to let things soak in after everything that had happened that day. "Alright, Dib. You don't have to believe or even forgive me. But on the off chance you decide you DO want to talk, you know where to find me." he said before turning to leave, heading back in the direction he'd set up base.

A/N: And there you have it for now. As always, feedback (ABOUT THE STORY) would be very much appreciated. Until next time~


	9. Chapter 8: Suspicions

A/N: Alright. So I kind of got lazy on posting this story...AGAIN. Sorry about that, you guys. I find myself falling in and out of these writing moods though as of late. One second I'm all pumped up and ready to get back to work writing this story and then the next, I'm telling myself I'll work on it later. Well, I finally found the motivation enough to work on Chapter 8 for posting. And yes. You are reading that chapter number correctly. For those who didn't notice, I went back and combined a few of the chapters together at the suggestion of a reader, Vioxxin. So thank you, Vioxxin, for your honest words and feedback. I really appreciate them. Hopefully the changes I made will create for a smoother read since I WAS kind of posting up super short chapters before. That being said, I hope you guys otherwise enjoy the NEW Chapter 8~ =3

From Rivalry To Passion- Chapter 8: Suspicions

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

Title suggested by LinnechaRose over on DA.

Critiques are welcome. Just please be fair with your critiques and put some actual thought into them before sending.

Note: Kindly refrain from leaving any negative comments about the CONTENT of this story. As the saying goes, if you don't like it, don't read and comment on it. When I ask for critiques on this story, I'd appreciate critiques on the quality of the story rather than the content. Because quite honestly, I don't care to hear whether you like the subject matter or not. Commenting negatively on the content won't make me change it and isn't helpful in the long run.

That said, hope you all enjoy~ =3

"THAT INSOLENT!...CONTEMPTUOUS!...FFFILTH BAG!" Zim raged as he threw open the door to his not-so-secret base, tossing his disguise off in the process before slamming the door shut behind him. "I'LL SHOW HIM…THEM…THIS ENTIRE FILTHY UNIVERSE WHO CAN AND CAN'T TAKE OVER A PLANET AS PATHETIC AS THIS ONE!" he went to grab an antenna and yank down hard on it before gritting his teeth and breathing in deeply. Letting go of the abused appendage about thirty seconds later, Zim exhaled out the breath he'd been holding in that entire time, his voice shaking slightly as he attempted to calm himself down.

Unbeknownst to the two conversing humans, Zim had trailed after them when he first saw them going to leave the school grounds early that day, wanting to know what relation the tall one had to the Dib-worm that he'd take the time to walk the boy home after his passing out in the school office. It wasn't until Dib mentioned that fateful day all those years back that Zim was finally able to place a name (or at least an identification) on what he recalled to be a rather familiar-looking human. Although it had been long ago, he vaguely remembered Dib's involvement with a human ally, the elementary school's ex-councilor. It was almost a shock to him that the human had managed to survive in space for so long, even more so that he found a way in which to return to Earth and resume his short-lived partnership with the Dib.

But something had been off about their interactions. The human boy had seemed rather upset by the older man's return to Earth, even though he had vowed to assist Dib once again in his self-proclaimed mission to stop his attempts at world domination.

Zim frowned at the thought.

'_Attempts_.'

That's all it had been these past six years: failed endeavors that hadn't truly gotten him anywhere with his status, with his people. The Tallest didn't even acknowledge him as a true invader anymore, if they ever did. He grimaced at the thought of his last transmission with them. He'd show them. He'd show all of them. He didn't need his planet's resources, and he most certainly didn't need their support either. He would finish his job by relying on himself alone. After all, what true invader needed the help of others to conquer a planet as ignorant as Earth?

Standing himself up straight again, Zim went to enter his underground base, prepared to pull an all-nighter if he had to, plotting. To say the very least, his last few schemes had been 'awful', 'uninspired', and dare he say, 'lazy'? He'd grown so accustomed to Dib foiling what plans he did come up with that he almost didn't see the point in trying any longer. But things were different now. His pride as an Irken and an invader had been called into question with Dwicky's remarks about him. He couldn't let a lowly human determine his fate as future ruler of Earth. Oh, how he'd make the human suffer at his hands. In fact, he'd make the man suffer more so than any other cruelty he claimed to have witnessed in space.

Taking a seat at his computer once he had descended into his main lab, he then began to type in commands at lightning speed, his six fingers dancing almost elegantly over the keyboard as they flawlessly brought up a video feed from within the Dib-human's house. Before he could do anything else, he'd have to learn what more the Dwicky-monster knew about him. But with limited information about the human's current whereabouts, he'd need to monitor the Dib's interactions with him until he could pinpoint an exact location to set up surveillance.

As if on cue, the sound of a door opening on the other end of the video feed alerted his attention to the boy's arrival. Once said human fell off to sleep, he'd then send Gir to his residence to attach a homing device to the human's clothing so he could keep track of his every move and interaction. With the Dib at his disposal, there was no way his plan to destroy the Dwicky-human and take over this planet would fail. He'd just have to be patient, ever waiting for his opportunity to strike and make good on his word of completing the job ON HIS OWN.

Eyes narrowed when the door to Dib's bedroom finally opened, a still rather agitated-looking Dib entering and going to flop down onto his mattress.

"Your days are limited, human. Your days are limited."

QQQQQ

Meanwhile, back with Dib, Dib sighed as he stared up at the ceiling of his room. He felt worn out by the day's events but too mentally worked up to sleep. After all, it wasn't every day one of his ex-councilors returned from space and offered to partner up with him again.

Turning over in his bed, he went to bury his face inside a pillow, breathing in his scent before exhaling out a small sigh.

So his proof of alien life forms really had turned out to be false evidence after all.

"Figures…" he muttered to himself before thinking back to what the dark-haired man had said to him.

Dwicky certainly wasn't any alien. But something about the way he spoke had seemed almost sincere. Did he really mean what he said when he pledged his loyalty to him?

'No.' Dib shook his head and shifted onto his stomach. 'He lied before about helping me, and I won't let myself fall for that again.' He thought as he hugged his pillow to himself, trying to forget the betrayal he'd felt the last time Dwicky had left him to face Zim on his own. The Irken was no threat. He was just a minor annoyance; a daily routine; even a way of life for him. Zim's threats were empty though, and he didn't see any reason to believe the Earth was actually in danger of ever being taken over. Dwicky was just trying to bait him into forgiving him, most likely because he felt guilty about leaving the first time. He wasn't that dense though, and Dwicky's words held little to no meaning to him.

Glancing at the clock in his room, Dib noted the time on the wall: 1:30 p. m. Dwicky had told him he'd know where to find him if he wanted to talk, but he didn't. He didn't want to talk or even see Mr. Dwicky again. But despite his desire to stay far away from the ex-councilor, he couldn't help but wonder about the night before.

He sat up in bed with a start, suddenly remembering that there were two figures that he recalled crawling out from the space pod last night. No doubt, the taller of the two was Dwicky himself. But who had been with him? Another human? An alien in disguise?

Shaking his head at his initial thought, Dib went to stand and grab his house keys again. It had to be an alien. Dwicky was the only other human he knew of to have ever entered space.

He didn't want to see Dwicky again, but to confirm his suspicions, he knew he had to.

So reaching into his trench coat pocket, he began to search for something Dwicky had slipped to him right before leaving the school building. It was a crumpled up piece of paper with an address written across it.

"817 Maple Street. The Comfy Platypus Inn? Room 104 in the front lot." He read the slip of paper once he had managed to fish it out from his pocket. He sighed. That was almost all the way back across town, near where the space pod had first crashed.

"Guess I better catch a bus there now if I want to make it back home before the buses shut down for the evening." he said to himself, heading out to door and down the street to the nearest bus stop. He'd confront Dwicky about the identity of his space companion once he got there. The older man wouldn't be able to hide the truth from him this time. Not when he still had proof on his camera of two life forms exiting the space vessel. What he'd do after confronting Dwicky though was still a mystery even to him. Obviously, Dwicky must have had a reason for bringing another alien to Earth with him, and he planned on finding out what that reason was.

A/N: And there you have it for now. As always, feedback would be very much appreciated. Until next time~


	10. Chapter 9: Reasons For Returning

A/N: Hmmm...This chapter. I'm actually rather surprised by how well this chapter came out as I was writing it. At first, I was having a difficult time beginning it. But once I got it rolling, the rest came surprisingly easy for me. I'll chalk that up to this being a chapter I've been wanting to write for quite some time now.

From Rivalry To Passion- Chapter 9: Reasons For Returning

Disclaimer- I do not own the cartoon that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Rating: M

Title suggested by LinnechaRose over on DA.

Critiques are welcome. Just please be fair with your critiques and put some actual thought into them before sending.

Note: Kindly refrain from leaving any negative comments about the CONTENT of this story. As the saying goes, if you don't like it, don't read and comment on it. When I ask for critiques on this story, I'd appreciate critiques on the quality of the story rather than the content. Because quite honestly, I don't care to hear whether you like the subject matter or not. Commenting negatively on the content won't make me change it and isn't helpful in the long run.

That said, hope you all enjoy~ =3

Dib's head was pounding by the time he reached the location of his desired destination, the steady 'ba-thump' of his own heartbeat ringing in his ears and the low hum of the motel's neon sign drowning out everything else that was left to be heard. This was it. The place Dwicky had told him he'd be able to find him at. He glanced at the poorly-lit neon sign situated right outside the motel lobby before eyeing the brass-casted plaque that read 'Room 104.'

Wiping his sweaty palms on the outside of his trench coat, he considered what he'd say once he came face to face with Dwicky for the second time that day. Would a more indirect approach to the identity of the man's alien companion be more appropriate? Or would he be better off charging in with guns a blazing as he demanded answers from the other about his reasons for returning to Earth and why he hadn't come back alone?

Taking in a deep breath as he prepared himself to knock on the door, he concluded that he'd try to maintain an even ground between the two, not wanting to scare Dwicky off but also not willing to leave without at least some answers to his questions.

He raised his fist to knock lightly on the motel door, knuckles coming within mere inches of the wooden surface before a sudden voice broke his concentration.

"Dib?"

Whirling around in his spot upon hearing the all too familiar voice of somebody standing right behind him, Dib felt his heart jump up into his throat at the sight of Dwicky before he swallowed thickly in an attempt to force his nerves back down and regain his initial composure.

"D-Dwicky!…I-I was just…" he began to say before cutting himself short when he realized just how shaky his words had left his mouth. Looking to the side, somewhat embarrassed, he coughed into one hand before continuing in a calmer manner. "I was just…I came to ask you a few…" he tried force out what he wanted to say but felt himself getting more and more tongue-tied by the second. Finally, he looked back at the dark-haired man confused. "What exactly are you doing out here anyways?" he asked before mentally smacking himself for asking such a stupid and unrelated question.

Looking rather surprised that Dib had actually come all the way out here and a little confused by Dib's initial stammering, Dwicky then just smiled at the teenage boy before holding up the key to his room and gesturing for the other to move aside so he could open the door for them to enter.

"I was just out grabbing some dinner for myself." He said, holding up a brown paper bag that Dib assumed held some sort of leftovers in it. "You're more than welcome to come in though." He then said, stepping aside once he had gotten the door open and motioning for the other to go ahead and step inside.

Reaching for the light switch once Dib had hesitantly entered the rather small, single bed room, Dwicky then made his way over to what looked like a cheap miniature refrigerator and placed his leftovers inside the poorly-kept ice box.

"I'm guessing you're here to ask me what I'm doing back on Earth, eh?" He said in a rather bemused voice as he went about tidying up the room some, papers having been scattered across the floor from the night before as Dwicky had been scrambling to get a resume prepared for earlier that day.

Too busy looking around the rather cramped and dirty motel room to answer at first, Dib eyed the messy covers of the bed he assumed Dwicky had slept in last night before having a look around the rest of the room warily. "Yeah…Well actually…" he began to say before walking in to examine the bathroom and closet idly, thinking that perhaps the man was staying in a room separate from his 'companion's'.

Glancing up from the pile of papers he was stacking together, Dwicky gasped and reached out to try and stop the other when he saw him going to sit on the foot of the bed. "Wait, Dib! Don't sit ther-" he tried to warn the other but it was too late. The second the boy sat down, there came a shifting from underneath the covers of the bed and then the bolting up of whoever it was that had taken residence beneath said covers.

Startled, he watched as Dib sprang up from his spot almost instantly, a short-lived scream escaping him as he scrambled to pull away, losing his footing and hitting the ground hard. Dwicky winced before quickly making his way to Dib's side to help him up. "Dib. Are you alright? I'm so sorry about that. I forgot to mention though..." he looked up at the brown-haired boy sitting in bed. "...I'm not alone here."

Sitting up with a groan, Dib went to rub his throbbing head before staring at the boy wide-eyed and confused. He knew Dwicky's companion had come to Earth with a human disguise, but seeing it up close now, it seemed almost too good a disguise compared to what he had expected.

"Wh-Who is that? And WHAT is he?" he finally asked after several moments of silence had passed between the three occupants.

About to introduce the boy to said paranormal investigator, Dwicky then stopped and stared at Dib rather confused by his second question. "What do you mean, 'What is he'? He's human. Can't you tell?" he sent Dib an almost concerned look, not knowing where that had come from all of a sudden.

"Human…?" Dib repeated back to himself before shaking his head and glaring up at Dwicky. He pulled his arm from the man's grip once he was back up on his feet. "Don't play dumb with me. I'm not stupid. You came here from space with him. Now what is he really?" he pointed at the rather sickly-looking boy, glaring at Dwicky all the while.

"H-How did you-? I'm not playing, Dib. His name is Pete, and he really IS human." He stared the raven-haired boy straight in the eyes as he said that, needing Dib to know he wasn't lying to him.

"I'm not playing either! I saw you exit your space pod with him last night, and we both know you're the only human to have ever traveled through space!" he went to pull out his camera so he could hold it up to Dwicky. "I even have pictures on here to prove it!" he said, throwing Dwicky rather off guard by this information as he had no idea Dib had been there watching when he and his young ward had crawled out from their space vessel.

Glancing up at the rather terrified-looking boy hiding partially in the bed covers, Dwicky sighed before looking back at Dib and sending him an almost pleading look now. "Listen, Dib. I know this may be hard for you to believe, but he really IS human. You just have to trust me on this. You and I both thought I was the only human to ever travel out into space, but it wasn't until a year later that I realized that's not the case at all. In fact, almost fourteen years back, there were 11 different humans sent into space, all at the same time. They were only babies at the time it happened, abducted by a race who at first believed them to be their own people. I'm not sure whether you're familiar with the Nhar-Gh'ok, but Pete here was raised by them. Raised by them for close to 9 years before I came along and took charge of his care five years ago. The Nhar-Gh'ok are a dying race though. They have been ever since the Irken Empire invaded their home planet and took over. Pete came here with me because he was one of the only humans to escape at the time this happened. He's in need of medical attention though. That's why I brought him back to Earth with me."

A/N: And there you have it. Finally, you all get to meet the space traveler who returned to Earth with Dwicky. And surprisingly enough, YES, he IS a human. No, he is NOT a fan character though. As Dwicky explains at the end of the chapter, he is one of the babies that gets abducted by the Nhar-Gh'ok in the IZ episode, "Plague of Babies." As far as I've seen, this plot has never been explored in an IZ fanfiction. So I thought it might make for an interesting story to have Dwicky run into one of those abducted babies years after their initial abduction. (Remember they were already seven at the time the Nhar-Gh'ok on Earth confronted Zim about taking his ship.) So Pete is technically an official IZ character. Just an unnamed one whom LinnechaRose named for me several months back. (For those who didn't realize, this is just a re-written version of the same RP I was writing with her before it got discontinued. She agreed to letting me keep the name Pete for this re-write though. So thank you, LinnechaRose~ ;3; ) Moving on, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as it's the foundation of my entire plot for this story. It took me a few years to get around to writing it, but I honestly believe it hasn't been done yet. Please feel free to confirm the validity of this statement though in the event any of you have read any stories with similar plots. All I know is that -I- haven't read any like this. But I guess one can never really know, eh? That said, I hope you guys otherwise enjoyed~ =3

As always, feedback would be very much appreciated. Until next time~


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